Changes

Johnston criticized the activities of the White Citizens Council but overcame that opposition when he was named the executive director of the sovereignty commission and continued as public relations director as well.<ref>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years'', pp. 189, 228.</ref> The commission was abolished in 1977 in the Cliff Finch administration, four years after Governor Bill Waller [[veto]]ed its funding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdcbowen.org/p2/bh/badco/missSov.htm Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|title=Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 18, 1998.|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>

Johnston criticized the activities of the White Citizens Council but overcame that opposition when he was named the executive director of the sovereignty commission and continued as public relations director as well.<ref>Erle Johnston, ''Mississippi's Defiant Years'', pp. 189, 228.</ref> The commission was abolished in 1977 in the Cliff Finch administration, four years after Governor Bill Waller [[veto]]ed its funding.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mdcbowen.org/p2/bh/badco/missSov.htm Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|title=Mississippi Commission's Files a Treasure Trove of Innuendo|publisher=[[Associated Press]]|date=March 18, 1998.|accessdate=April 14, 2016}}</ref>

Johnston worked in numerous [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] political campaigns in Mississippi, beginning in 1942 with [[James Eastland]]'s election to the [[United States Senate]]; Eastland was subsequently the long-term chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]]. He worked to elect Martin Sennet Conner and [[Fielding Wright]] as governor of Mississippi in 1943 and 1947, respectively; Conner previously served from 1936 to 1940 but lost the gubernatorial race in 1943 to Thomas L. Bailey, who thereafter died in office in 1946. Johnston worked in [[Hugh L. White]]'s gubernatorial race in 1951, and the renomination of Senator Eastland in the 1954 primary against Carroll Gartin of Laurel, a three-term lieutenant governor who subsequently died in office in 1966. Johnston was Ross Barnett's publicity director in the unsuccessful 1955 race for governor against [[James P. Coleman]] and the successful one in 1959 against Carroll Gartin. He also worked for the unpledged elector slate in 1960, which denied the Mississippi [[electoral vote]] to both [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. He helped to produce telecasts of the inaugurations of Governors Barnett, Johnson, [[conservative]]  John Bell Williams in 1968, and William Waller in 1972.<ref name=papers/>   

Johnston worked in numerous [[Democratic Party|Democratic]] political campaigns in Mississippi, beginning in 1942 with James Eastland's election to the [[United States Senate]]; Eastland was subsequently the long-term chairman of the [[Senate Judiciary Committee]]. He worked to elect Martin Sennet Conner and Fielding Wright as governor of Mississippi in 1943 and 1947, respectively; Conner previously served from 1936 to 1940 but lost the gubernatorial race in 1943 to Thomas L. Bailey, who thereafter died in office in 1946. Johnston worked in [[Hugh L. White]]'s gubernatorial race in 1951, and the renomination of Senator Eastland in the 1954 primary against Carroll Gartin of Laurel, a three-term lieutenant governor who subsequently died in office in 1966. Johnston was Ross Barnett's publicity director in the unsuccessful 1955 race for governor against James P. Coleman and the successful one in 1959 against Carroll Gartin. He also worked for the unpledged elector slate in 1960, which denied the Mississippi [[electoral vote]] to both [[John F. Kennedy]] and [[Richard M. Nixon]]. He helped to produce telecasts of the inaugurations of Governors Barnett, Johnson, [[conservative]]  John Bell Williams in 1968, and William Waller in 1972.<ref name=papers/>   

From 1981 to 1985, Johnston was the [[mayor]] of Forest. In this capacity, he recruited to his city [[Hughes Aircraft Company]] and the [[Sara Lee Corporation]]. These two companies alone brought thousands of jobs to the area.<ref name=bio/> He was sandwiched between the eight non-consecutive mayoral terms of [[poultry]] industrialist Fred L. Gaddis, Sr. (1922-2001).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2002/html/SC/SC0513IN.htm|title=Senate Concurrent Resolution 513|date=2002|publisher=billstatus.ls.state.ms.us|accessdate=April 14, 2016</ref>

From 1981 to 1985, Johnston was the [[mayor]] of Forest. In this capacity, he recruited to his city Hughes Aircraft Company and the Sara Lee Corporation. These two companies alone brought thousands of jobs to the area.<ref name=bio/> He was sandwiched between the eight non-consecutive mayoral terms of [[poultry]] industrialist Fred L. Gaddis, Sr. (1922-2001).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2002/html/SC/SC0513IN.htm|title=Senate Concurrent Resolution 513|date=2002|publisher=billstatus.ls.state.ms.us|accessdate=April 14, 2016</ref>

 

==Death and legacy==

==Death and legacy==